Football Preview
Following a successful three-game road trip, the Princeton Tigers (3-1, 1-0 Ivy) will return home this Saturday to face the Brown Bears (1-3, 0-1 Ivy) in a critical Ivy League matchup.
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Following a successful three-game road trip, the Princeton Tigers (3-1, 1-0 Ivy) will return home this Saturday to face the Brown Bears (1-3, 0-1 Ivy) in a critical Ivy League matchup.
Junior quarterback John Lovett rushed for three touchdowns and passed for another as the Princeton Tigers (3-1, 1-0 Ivy) rolled over Georgetown (3-2, 2-1 at home), 31-17.Though Princeton would come out on top, Georgetown was the first on the scoreboard. The Hoyas blocked a field goal midway through the first quarter and returned it 51 yards to go up 7-0. However, the Tigers responded almost immediately, with Lovett engineering a long drive and punching into the end zone to tie the game.After the Hoyas failed to answer on their ensuing drive, Lovett struck again. Georgetown had no answer for the Tigers’ attack, and the junior quarterback had a five-yard run into the end zone that put Princeton up 14-7 to close out the half.The Tigers picked up right where they left off to open the third quarter, putting together another scoring drive that culminated with Lovett tossing a pass to sophomore tight end Graham Adomitis for the latter’s first career touchdown at Princeton. However, Georgetown quickly responded with a touchdown of their own, cutting the Tigers’ lead back to seven. Both teams failed to penetrate each other’s defenses for the remainder of the quarter, leaving the score at 21-14 as the final period of play began.At the outset of the fourth quarter, Lovett came through one final time for the Tigers, leading his fourth scoring drive and scoring a third rushing touchdown that gave Princeton a 28-14 advantage. Less than three minutes later, the Tigers tacked on another field goal to stretch their lead to 17. From then on out, the Hoyas never quite threatened, adding on a final field goal in the game’s closing minutes, but finally falling, 31-17.The game was a revelation for Lovett, who proved his worth as an integral component of the Tigers’ multi-dimensional offense. Also contributing to Princeton’s attack this game were senior quarterback Chad Kanoff, who went 18 for 37 and amassed 168 passing yards, and sophomore running back Charles Volker, who lead the Tigers in rushing with 88 yards on the ground. Together, these individuals look to continue overwhelming defenses throughout the season.With the victory over Georgetown, the Tigers complete non-conference play and now look forward to the heart of their season. Princeton will face off against the remaining six teams in the Ivy League in the coming weeks, beginning with Brown on Oct. 15 and continuing against Harvard the following week. The Tigers have already routed Columbia, 48-13, and will hope for similar success against these perennial rivals in the coming days.
Senior quarterback Chad Kanoff threw for 230 yards, junior quarterback John Lovett and senior running back Joe Rhattigan rushed for almost fifty yards apiece, and the Princeton Tigers (2-1, 1-0 Ivy) opened their Ivy League season in emphatic style by dismantling the Columbia Lions (0-3, 0-1 Ivy), 48-13.
Despite a tough battle, the Princeton Tigers (1-1, 0-0 Ivy) dropped their second game of the season to Lehigh (2-2, 1-1 Home), 42-28.
The Princeton Tigers (1-0 overall, 0-0 Ivy League) will continue their season this Saturday as they take on Lehigh (1-2) in a second non-conference game.
After a 2015 campaign that saw the Tigers start 4-0 before dropping close games late to Yale and Dartmouth, Princeton football will look to further their successes this season.The Tigers (1-0, 0-0 Ivy) have already gotten off to a strong start, vanquishing touch out-of-conference foe Lafayette 35-31 while displaying a potent combination of offense and defense. Nevertheless, head coach Bob Surace emphasized the toughness of the Tigers' 2016 slate and the work ethic necessary for this squad to continue its success.“This is very much like the NFL, where the worst team in our league can beat the best team,” he commented. “We play a non-conference schedule where Lafayette’s got 60 scholarships, Lehigh’s got 60 scholarships, and we have an Ivy League schedule where the difference between the team that wins the championship and a team that comes in at the bottom half is very minimal. It’s one or two plays in that game. So each week is going to present an opportunity for us to be at our best.”Surace emphasized a commitment to details throughout the season.“We wanted to practice fast, to keep it high tempo, and have a lot of energy and enthusiasm in practice,” he explained. “I wanted to just see our guys locked in, and it’s something that I’ve always believed in from day one, and I think — I think that it was Michael Lewis who first used the phrase, “do your job.” Focus on the job at hand, focus on the play. And when we do that, I think we have a really serious group of guys that way.”Princeton's preseason training has also focused on such a combination of fundamentals and preparation.“This year, every practice I’d go out and each position group, before we start practice, while they’re getting loose, we’d start working on specific skills,” he added. “That’s a really professional approach, and I’ve really enjoyed watching that. The number one thing is to have a great training camp, and I felt that we did a really good job taking advantage of all our opportunities — our practices, our meetings, play-by-play. I felt our guys had a great mindset through all that. The focus — every day, on the day at hand, the team we’re playing. If we take care of business every day, getting ready for all of those situations and opportunities, all those other things take advantage of themselves.”The Tigers enter 2016 with several losses from graduation and the NFL draft, including former captain Seth DeValve, who now plays for the Cleveland Browns. In describing the roles fulfilled by last year's departed players, Surace reflected on the impact of these athletes.“In college, obviously, you’re limited to the four seasons,” he said. “Seth [DeValve] is fortunate that he can keep playing football for the Browns. But those [players] were just tremendous leaders and effort guys. We’ve also had two corners who started over 30 games each, and when you start adding all those things up, you have a lot of good football players who contributed over the four years.”However, Princeton will retain an experienced core cast on both sides of the ball. In discussing his team, Surace noted several team leaders with the potential to leave a strong mark on the season.“Both [senior] Chad Kanoff and [junior] John Lovett at quarterback have had great preseasons,” he stated. “[Senior] Joe Rhattigan — he was an all-Ivy guy last year, [senior] Scott Carpenter was an All-Ivy guy at tight end…[senior defensive back] Dorian [Williams], one of our captains, has started 30 games, so he’s got a chance to be one of those guys who does it for four straight years.”Offensively, the Tigers offense will rely on upperclassmen, with Kanoff, Lovett, and Rhattigan all looking to improve on the 3,000 total yards they amassed last year.Williams, who finished with 91 tackles last season, will look to anchor a young secondary and lead the Tigers defensively. Last weekend, Princeton allowed only 60 yards rushing and 416 yards overall, and the Tigers will look to improve upon those successes.Football will continue its season on Saturday against Lehigh. The Tigers will commence Ivy play when they host Columbia the following week.
Fireworks danced outside of Princeton Stadium on Saturday night as the Tigers (1-0, 0-0 Ivy) came storming back to erase an early Lafayette lead and beat the Leopards (1-2, 0-0 in-conference) 35-31 to open the 2016 season.
This Reunions, the Prince had a chance to sit down and talk with Samuel Young ’96, a former defensive tackle on the Princeton football team. Young concentrated in molecular biology at the University and earned his Ph. D. at the University of North Carolina in under four years. He is a current Research Group Leader of Molecular Mechanisms of Synaptic Function at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience. On Friday, he was able to share with us insights on his time on the football team and how it helped shape his eventual success as a scientist.The Daily Princetonian: Dr. Young, could you tell us of your most memorable moments on the football team at Princeton?Samuel Young: Well, in my senior season (1996), we went 8-1-1 (one loss against Yale, one tie against Dartmouth) and won the outright Ivy League championship; no team has been able to do that since! And we were able to defeat Penn, one of our chief rivals and the powerhouse at the time — they had just clinched the Ivy League championship the year before — on their own home field by a crushing margin. It also happened to be our first title in 30 years, though we had certainly come close many times.DP: Did the victory seem like a culmination of years of effort? Had the team been in a sense “building up” to the 1996 championship?SY: No; actually, we had done quite well in the seasons before as well. In my freshman year, we had shared the Ivy League title with Dartmouth; in my sophomore year, we placed second or third in the conference. But being able to do something special my senior year, to win the title outright, was something that was really amazing for all of us.DP: What were the biggest challenges of being a student-athlete at Princeton, and do you feel these pressures and challenges have changed for student-athletes today?SY: Well, I can’t comment too much on necessarily the changes of being a student-athlete at Princeton these days since I’m no longer either a student or an athlete at the University. Of course, being a football player back then, as I am sure it is today, was a large commitment at the University. It was physically and mentally draining. We used to have these grueling summer practices, these awful two-a-day (which Princeton football no longer does). There was the real possibility of players collapsing from heat stroke, and a lot of our players did wash out… it was definitely tough. The amount of time put on the field was a challenge as well; I remember a lot of people in the molecular biology department surprised I was pursuing a sport like football while remaining in such a tough academic discipline. But it was also one of the greatest experiences in my life: in college, I wanted to play football and be a scholar, and that’s what Princeton allowed me to do.DP: How do you feel about the recent changes in football — specifically, the increasing awareness on the link between football and CTE and the elimination of head-on tackling in football practice?SY: In terms of CTE and brain damage, I think that it’s good to be aware of the link between CTE and football but also remember that football’s not the only sport out there that can lead to brain injury — take a look at hockey and soccer. As long as changes to the sport can reduce damage and not kill the character of football, I support them.DP: Did you ever feel that there was a divide between you and other Princeton students?SY: I had great friends both on the football team and off. But I do understand that athletes, like all other individuals, tend to associate with people they know, people they’re friends with. I think that’s important whenever you consider integration of student-athletes into the general student body. Oftentimes, there was the feeling that, since I was jock, I hadn’t gotten in based on academic merit but solely on football talent; that’s probably a problem that plagues a lot of Ivy League athletes. Being able to major in molecular biology allowed me to prove those rumors wrong: I was an athlete, yes, but also a scholar. I think student-athletes who find their identities at Princeton questioned should remember that.DP: How has being a football player impacted your career as a scientist?SY: A lot of science is about failure. It’s about being able to take criticism positively and use it to mold yourself into a better scientist. I really like how the Germans describe a scientist: Wissenschaftler, or knowledge seeker. Being on the cutting edge of science is never easy; you’re bound to see multiple setbacks. I’ve seen a lot of brilliant individuals washout of science simply because their egos weren’t able to handle failure or criticism. As a football player, I had to be tough, to be able to take hits and use criticism of my performance to play better, or I wouldn’t be able to start. As a scientist, I’ve been able to accept and understand the difficulties I have to undergo and to be unafraid of them. I understand the passion and effort needed to succeed in science.
Over Reunions, the Prince sat down with Thomas Bevan ’91, co-founder and publisher of RealClearPolitics. As a Tiger, Bevan played defensive back for the Princeton football team before earning a history degree. During the talk, the Chicago-based writer discussed team bonding, waking up at 4 a.m. to update his website and career advice.The Daily Princetonian: What has been your favorite part of Princeton Reunions?Tom Bevan: The best part about it is seeing your old friends, that’s why we’re all here. It’s great to get to hear about what they’re doing and their families. What is most surprising is that they look just like what I imagined them 25 years ago.DP: What was your most memorable moment on the football team?TB: The thing I remember most about football here is after practice, almost every night, four of us would just throw and see who could complete more passes. Most of my fondest memories are about spending time in the locker room, at camp, the bonding experience.DP: Do you think playing football had some lasting effects on your character?TB: After school, a bunch of us started charity called PlaySmart, which was motivated by the fact that we had all been positively impacted by sports. It taught us discipline, teamwork, sportsmanship – things that helped us grow into men, fathers and professionals. Especially here at Princeton, it was at a high level.DP: How do you think the program has changed since you left?TB: The thing that shocked me was that the varsity football team isn’t getting contact at practice anymore. That would have been inconceivable in our era.DP: Transitioning to your current work, did you know your career path while at Princeton?TB: I left Princeton not knowing what I wanted to do. I spent a few years working at jobs I did not like. You know, I was basically apolitical in college, but bit the bug after college. Now, sixteen years later, I still really enjoy what I get to do. But, when I came to college, I didn’t know, and when I left I didn’t know.I took a class with James McPherson, and I was hooked. I figured that if I was going to take a lot of classes, I decided I might as well take classes I enjoyed. I was always jealous of kids who knew exactly what they wanted to do.DP: Do you think Princeton prepared you for that uncertainty?TB: Yes and no. For sure all of the classes taught me how to read, think critically and write. But, because this place is filled with so many great people and me not knowing initially what I wanted to do, I really had a mid-life crisis when I was 25. It was a struggle. I don’t think I would have had such anxiety if I had not gone to Princeton. It was a burden, but it also motivated me.DP: Tuning to your current job, do you think there is a connection between politics and sports?TB: You know, there are two teams. It’s the biggest game in the country and played at a very high level. That’s something I missed when I left school, that competitive aspect. Covering politics is, in some ways, watching and reporting on a really competitive game, which I really enjoy.DP: Any lasting advice for undergraduates here?TB: For undergraduates, enjoy your time here. You will leave this place. Do not take it for granted while you’re here. You will look back on it so fondly. You should really enjoy every waking moment. Give it everything you’ve got. Life is long. If you leave Princeton not knowing exactly what you want to do, don’t sweat it. You will figure it out eventually if you keep working at the problem. My advice would be to keep trying to figure it out. The great thing is that you can switch jobs, careers and re-invent themselves.
Earlier Saturday afternoon, the Cleveland Browns selected senior wide receiver Seth DeValve with the 138thpick in the NFL draft.
The Princeton football team, after a rollercoaster trip through Ivy League play this season, had their final game of 2015 this past Saturday, in which they lost 10-17 to the Dartmouth Big Green in Hanover, N.H.
After a heartbreaking loss to Yale, the Tigers, now 2-4 in the Ivy League (5-4 overall) will look to close out their season on a winning note when they take on Dartmouth this coming Saturday.
The Princeton Tigers fought until the final drive before falling just short against Yale (6-3 overall, 3-3 Ivy League) by a score of 35-28.
After dropping a heartbreaker in overtime to Penn, the Princeton Tigers will look to even their record in the Ivy League as they take on Yale in the homecoming game.
In shocking fashion, Princeton football suffered its third Ivy League loss of the season. The Tigers (5-3 overall, 2-3 Ivy League) fell to the Penn Quakers (5-3, 4-1) by an overtime score of 26-23.
Under the brightFridaynight lights of Princeton Stadium, the sprint football team competed in a thriller of a game against Chestnut Hill College in its final contest of the season. For the men of sprint football, however, the game would end in gut-wrenching heartbreak, as the Tigers fell 44-36 in a particularly wild 4thquarter.
Princeton’s offense fired on all cylinders, the defense stood firm, and the Tigers routed Cornellthis Saturday, 47-21.
After roaring to a 4-0 start, the Tigers have dropped back-to-back games against Ivy League opponents, including a 42-7 loss to rival Harvard last week. Now 1-2 in League play, the squad looks to even up their conference record as they face off against winless Cornell.
For the second consecutive year, Princeton football was outmatched by longtime rival Harvard. Competing on Boston’s Soldiers Field, the No. 15 Crimson (6-0 overall, 3-0 Ivy League) managed 42 points, including three unanswered third-quarter touchdowns, against the Tigers (4-2, 1-2), whose lone score came on a pass from sophomore quarterback John Lovett to fellow sophomore signal caller Nick Peabody.
After a tough loss to Brown this past weekend, the Princeton Tigers hold a 4-1 record as they travel to Cambridge on Saturday to face Harvard in the traditional meeting of rivals. For Princeton, the stakes couldn’t be higher.